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Sep 9, 2020
Otome Kaijuu is a Seinen comedy disguised as a Shoujo romance, but is actually still a decent romance with satisfying progression. At first the characters seem like parodies of Shoujo romance archetypes, but those flat, seemingly generic characters all develop naturally beyond their tropes to reveal interesting traits, hobbies, and reasons why they act as they do. Some characters have yet to receive that treatment, but I have little doubt at this point that their development will be satisfying.
At its core, it's a story about not judging by initial appearances because people are more complex than they may seem, and it adheres to that philosophy
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not only through its characters and storyline, but also its own structure and artstyle. The art is high quality throughout, whether in the cute Shoujo artstyle or when things are weirder. All of this makes for an enjoyable, albeit short experience that might not change your view on the world or cause fits of laughter, but will still resonate and thus is absolutely worth a read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jul 9, 2020
Short review: "Japan Sinks" is pretty much what you'd expect from a disaster movie, but lengthened to 10 episodes. There are several points where it works well, but there's also segments where it loses focus entirely. I wouldn't call it "Good" but it comes very close so it's worth checking out if you want to see characters persevere through a survival story and don't mind a few oddities.
Full Review
Story: 7/10 Good
If you've seen any of the disaster movies that came out of the 2000s craze, you know what to expect, but given the benefits of a longer runtime Japan Sinks is able to cut some
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of the genre constraints. The extra length makes the journey more realized and gives the characters time to be developed. However, it's severely held back by a lack of cohesion. There's almost no sense of the passage of time through most of the 10 episodes and some of the developments in the plot make more sense than others, especially in minor instances when pseudoscience or the supernatural are the only explanation. Sometimes the landscape is so sparsely populated you'd think there was a rapture, and sometimes new characters simply fall out of the sky. But the last third of the story is where it makes up for many of its faults and ties things together.
Art: 5/10 Mediocre. There are several moments where the more realistic character animation really improves the effect of a scene, but there's very few where the art is particularly impressive. Most disaster movies rely at least to some extent on "wow" shots with collapsing buildings or the beautiful and scary power of nature, but there's little emphasis on that here.
Sound: 6/10 Fair. The soundtrack is rather simple and it never really seemed like it was particularly elevating a scene, but it did fit the overall tone of a family's struggle to survive. Sound effects did their job just fine.
Character: 7/10 Good. There are several aspects of the characters that fall short, especially their complete lack of emotion through several segments of the show, but the times when the characters actually do confront their emotions and one another are well done. Due to the reputation of disaster movies, it's hard to grow attached to characters sometimes but Japan Sinks did okay with that constraint. Overall, there's just enough good characters to make up for the mediocrity of the rest.
Enjoyment 7/10 Good.
Overall: 6.4/10 it's almost good. Despite so many things that don't seem right or could have been done better, there's still a somewhat captivating story here.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 2, 2020
"I don't even know what's going on anymore..."
In this fantasy of knights, monsters, and suspiciously fish-based country names, everybody is a moron in the best ways. It follows the strange adventures of Zety, an ill-natured bandit, and Lester, a lazy knight of Touna, as they fight other moronic knights, mercenaries, and monsters in their pursuit of supposedly powerful weapons.
Story - 6/10
The story serves its purpose for a comedy manga. It's dumb, a bit wacky, and sometimes nonsensical. The setting is purposefully generic and that might be boring for some readers. Overall, it's too early to really judge what the story is going to be
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like here.
Art - 6/10
The backgrounds are detailed and the armored knights look good, but there's nothing particularly great here. The action is decently well-drawn for a comedy manga, but it feels static at times.
Character - 8/10
The character designs are good, though a bit odd. The style is expected from the author of Nichibros, As you would expect from medieval knights, they spend a lot of time wearing helmets so it can be hard to tell them apart, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, the characters are charming in their simplicity and stupidity, and they feel different from the fanservicey archetypes we've come to expect from fantasy. They're great for what's out so far, but it's too early to say if they will or won't develop in the future.
Enjoyment - 8/10
Comedy is subjective, of course, but The Knight of White Thunder balances the obvious and the unexpected quite nicely. You'll know if the comedy suits your tastes within ~30 pages.
Overall, you should give this manga a shot. It will only take a few minutes to decide if you want to keep going.
This review (and score) will be updated as more chapters come out.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Apr 7, 2020
Alderamin is the tale of several young and brilliant military officers who must use strategy to survive battlefields--whether they're fought with bullets or politics.
The story doesn't glorify war, nor does it overemphasize its traumas, but it never shies away from the reality of the character's positions as commanders who carry the heavy burden of their unit's lives on their shoulders. They have to think objectively about sacrifices, follow orders they don't like, plan ahead, watch soldiers die by their own orders, and be ready for whatever counter-strategies the enemy throws at them. But with their heads together, they are much more capable of seizing victory
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from the jaws of defeat.
The characters are archetypal and their personalities may not be as natural or complex as those in other series, but they're passable. The characters have simple exterior personalities, but each of them harbors inner conflicts that guide their interactions with one another and create unique relationships, the most prominent of which being between the lazy Ikta Solork and the dedicated Yatorishino Igsem.
If you're looking to immerse yourself in a detailed fantasy world, Alderamin will likely disappoint you in this regard. While the fantasy setting is interesting, the series is written in a really bare style that is low on description--as if it's narrating the story as historical nonfiction to someone who is already familiar with the spirits, cultures, environments, and technologies that are foreign to us. In lieu of details, the writing prioritizes what is happening, why, and how. This works well for keeping the reader invested in the strategies at play and the inner monologues and conversations among the characters, but it comes at the cost of immersing readers in the world around them.
Alderamin is clearly well-researched. Some strategies seem to be reminiscent of real battlefields from history and frequently include technical details like naval maneuvers or how the human body acclimates to high altitude. This research is crucial to immerse the reader in the mindset of these strategists.
One of the most impressive facets of Alderamin is how it writes strategy, as without it the story would have little merit. As the reader, you'll consistently be given enough information to formulate a strategy that might get the characters out of their predicament, but still be surprised by what the characters come up with. When writing strategy, it's important that the strategist doesn't come off as 'omniscient' or always knowing exactly what his or her opponents will do, and this is an area that Alderamin handles extremely well. Characters make intelligent mistakes, sometimes crucial ones that haunt them, and have to live with the consequences of their decisions.
If you're interested in military strategy, Alderamin fills that niche extremely well, but it's not without its shortcomings.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Oct 31, 2019
Demon Slayer knows exactly what kind of story it wants to be, and does so extremely well, but does its reliance on certain narrative crutches make for “bad writing?”
Most reviewers agree that the sound, animation, and overall presentation of Demon Slayer is excellent, but the writing is more divisive. That’s why this review is completely dedicated to the story.
One of the most important questions to ask when judging the writing of a story is: “What is it trying to do, and does it do that well?” While Demon Slayer might not be breaking your expectations for the action-shounen genre, it achieves its purpose incredibly
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well and makes for a wonderfully entertaining story, as long as you can put up with some unrealistic interactions and sudden developments.
|| Focus 10/10 ~ Masterful ||
The first 15 seconds of Demon Slayer explain almost the entire premise: This is the story of how Tanjirou will save his sister. Most of the story elements contribute to narrating Tanjirou and Nezuko’s journey as they train in body and spirit as they grow to understand and pity the demons they fight, so the story never loses its path towards that goal.
✓ Everything supports the story’s goals and themes
✓ Elevates a simple premise into an engaging plot
✓ Utilizes a fairly small cast of characters to great effect
✓ Characters consistently feel important to story events.
✓ No hot springs or beach episodes
✓ No filler
|| Ambition 7/10 ~ Good ||
Demon Slayer avoids the worst tropes of the Shonen genre and even has a few innovations, but at the end of the day it’s still the simplistic plot you would expect from an action-shounen story, though that isn’t inherently bad.
I can’t express enough how much I enjoy the cooperation in Demon Slayer’s fights. There’s a few exceptions, but most of the time our heroes have to work together, protect one another, and create weaknesses for their comrades to exploit when against tough opponents.
✓ Actual cooperation in battles
✓ Fantasy mechanics feel consistent despite little development
✓ Story progresses incredibly quick for its genre, making up for the simplistic plot
✘ Mechanics are so simple that you have to just accept them and move on
✘ Plot has little intricacy
✘ Par for the course in action-shounen
|| Dialogue 6/10 ~ Fine ||
✓ Efficient in developing characters
✓ Moves story along quickly
✓ Concise, leaves more room for other things
✘ Unrealistic conversations
✘ Nezuko’s name is shouted too often
✘ Awkward dialogue during fights
✘ Characters frequently react with vapid/pointless questions. (Asking a question even though the answer is obvious, e.g. “are you awake?”)
Tanjirou has a tendency to ask unnecessary questions as a way of keeping the conversation moving down a fixed path and pointing out important details to the reader. An example of this is how Tanjirou and others will point out obvious things during fights (“Oh no, my hair is wrapped around the axe!”, which isn’t abnormal for action shounen, but isn’t a necessary crutch when the animation is good enough to show it just fine. This is normal for its genre and isn't necessarily bad, but can be annoying.
|| Structure 10/10 ~ Masterful ||
Demon Slayer hones and sharpens the tropes of its genre, proving that some tropes exist for a reason and aren’t inherently bad for their stories.
✓ Humble beginnings create a great sense of progression
✓ Every encounter develops the world
✓ Fight structures are less predictable than others in genre
✓ Characters and plot elements introduced slowly at first to build mystery
✓ Villains backstories don’t interrupt fights, makes them harder to predict and matches emotional fallout
|| Overall 8.25/10 ~ Great writing ||
Most of the ‘flaws’ in Demon Slayer’s writing may seem like bad writing when isolated from their context, but when I ask myself: “Would changing that make the story better?” The answer is usually “No.” Sure, I would care more about the villains if they received character development before they were already dying, but that would interrupt the pacing of the fights. By doing it consistently, KnY teaches you to expect the villains to be the “tragic, pitiful creatures” that Tanjirou sees them to be, and reminds you of that in the wake of every victory, which is where your emotions are most vulnerable.
Sure, when characters point out obvious details in fights it goes against “show don’t tell.” But they also focus the action on the most important events and those thoughts anchor us to the characters’ perspectives and make the fight immersive. Even though such a thing isn’t realistic, it makes for a much better story. The series clearly displays a talent for “show don’t tell” through how it develops its characters through details, behaviors, and design, but that’s a separate discussion entirely. How much people like Shinobu despite a relatively small amount of screentime should be a testament for the series’ writing philosophy.
While it may seem confusing that Nezuko is gagged and unable to talk whereas the other demons converse freely, the symbolism of the bamboo muzzle as a thematic comparison to a Buddhist monk’s vow of silence, as well as her unique condition make her to be a strong character in her own right whose muteness is a reminder of the struggle to retain her humanity. Sure, it’s a plot device to keep the focus on Tanjirou as the protagonist, but it makes the story better.
Finally, while there are instances where Tanjirou suddenly gains a new ability, but they’re forgivable because if we knew he had them before, they would be the Chekhov’s gun and make the fight more predictable. There’s more enjoyment to be gained in a story by having this character growth frequently come in during fights, instead of always during long training arcs, even if that was more realistic. Demon Slayer makes this growth canon, as well as thematic, with the expression of how near-death experiences pull at your long-forgotten memories. Thematically, this enhances the frequent connection between memories and one’s humanity that makes all the flashbacks in the series more meaningful.
In conclusion:
If you’re going into Demon Slayer expecting novel-quality writing or don’t like the action-shounen genre at all, you’re going to be disappointed. However, if you like the type of story the genre is capable of telling but can’t get into them because of their cliches and slow pacing, then Demon Slayer will almost definitely impress. It avoids cliches, leans into its tropes, and crafts a gripping story from fairly simple-seeming characters. Due to how well its apparent flaws actually enhance the story’s focus, I would say that Demon Slayer has flawed but still excellent writing because of how it tells Tanjirou’s story in the most entertaining way possible.
// Story: 8 // Art: 10 // Sound: 10 // Character: 8 // Enjoyment: 10 // Overall: 10 //
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 11, 2019
Tales of Zestiria the Cross is an action adventure that forgot to bring the action and was too busy with dialogue to make the adventure feel meaningful, but there's still enjoyment to be had here and moments where everything (temporarily) fits together.
Story 5/10; Mediocre
If you watched the OP (or better yet, the game's OP) and thought there'd be more like it in the anime, you're in to be disappointed. It follows a pretty generic fantasy adventure plotline, but the world is captivating enough to hold your interest. Ancient ruins to explore, a city in the middle of a lake, spirit-filled forests and demon-laden catacombs can
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all be found here...but you never get to feel like you've experienced any of them because the story spends so much time with the protagonist "Sorey" or one of two female deuteragonists talking about their ideals in forgettable battlefields or lazing about town. If you've ever been annoyed by a moment when a character refuses to kill a villain because he/she "didn't want to stoop to their level" then worry not, you'll get your annual dose from this single show. On the bright side, at least its consistent enough to be thematic when the characters' unrealistic idealism is the foundation of the plot. That said, the story hits a few peaks where you may find yourself really invested in what's going on and hyped for what happens next.
Art 10/10; Outstanding
Ufotable's animation is held in high regard for good reason. While there are moments when the CGI is painfully noticable (anytime there's a crowd), the worst the series ever gives you is 'respectable' and the brilliance of its animation and perspective that comes from having a CGI base proves its merit. It's a shame that this is held back by how boring the actual contents of most of the "fights" are. Characters that have interesting fighting styles never really get to use them, as most of the time they exist as batteries for screaming at malevolence or whirling some generic powered-up attack from the MC until it goes away in beautiful, shallow action sequences.
Sound 7/10; Good
The soundtrack does what it needs to do, enhancing action and giving a peaceful aura to the quiet moments, and the sound effects are above standard for sure. But there's nothing too memorable about it. The voice acting is excellent enough to make even the shallowest of characters have a personality, and even the English dub is noteworthy for how well it captures them. And there are moments when a character theme comes on at the right time to make the character feel more alive than the poor caricatures they turn out to be.
Character 6/10; Fair
The characters in Zestiria have great designs and personalities, but are devoid of substance. Each feels unique and presents a captivating personality through their outfits and appearances, but that's the peak of its characterization. The show puts action and adventure on the back-burner to focus instead of the characters story arcs, and yet somehow still manages to make the characters feel like they haven't developed at all. Only 3 characters ever seem to get any meaningful development, and yet still remain flat with only a few things they care about. Their personalities are all interesting, but good characters are often determined by their actions and Zestiria's characters usually are too busy doing nothing. Since the Seraphim characters spend most of their screentime lazing about in the background, one character's ability to do nothing in the most interesting way somehow manages to be the second most memorable part about her, after her personality. Their lack of development would be forgivable if it weren't for the fact that they almost never got to show off their abilities.
Enjoyment 6/10; Fair
There are several times when you may be excited, worried, or captivated by what's going on, but the most endearing parts of the anime are generally held back by the aforementioned flaws. The Seraphim characters seemed to all have unique and interesting fighting styles, but they were hampered by never actually getting to use them. Watching the game's OP, as well as the ED of season 2 made me nostalgic for things that seem like they never even happened.
Overall: 6.8/10
There was so much potential here for a great series, and I do recommend watching the prologue and the two stand-alone Berseria episodes (5 & 6), but beyond that you will be disappointed by how every seemingly interesting character or plot element gets ignored in favor of another speech about ideals.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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